FRU: We were only under orders

SHAH ALAM: The Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel who were dispatched to the Seafield Mahamariamman temple on the night of the riots were only told to be on standby, an inquest into the death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim was told today.

ASP Shuhaimi Yaakub, who was in charge then, said the FRU was bound by the standard operating procedures provided for in the Public Order Manual.

He said under the manual, FRU officers were to act as a relief team and to take action only on the instruction of a police officer.

“Our men must be briefed first to either continue to be on standby or to take action,“ he said in response to a question from Deputy Public Prosecutor Hamdan Hamzah in front of Coroner Rofiah Mohamad.

“We were unable to reach Subang Jaya district police chief. Then I contacted the field officer, DSP Nasir. He only told me to be on standby.”

Earlier another witness Budd Mosin said the Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) van could have run over the fireman if he was wedged between the van and cars parked at the side of the road.

“The van backed into him and he fell. Then it continued to move,“ he said.

Adib was part of a nine-man fire-fighting team that responded to an emergency call at the temple where rioters were protesting its relocation on Nov 27.

During the riot, Adib sustained severe injuries and was hospitalised for three weeks, before succumbing to his injuries on Dec 17.